Boo! Yep, October has snuck up on us and is flying by! If you do not have a costume for your little arm candies, don’t worry! There is still time to find the perfect costume at the perfect price! Costume Discounters has an amazing selection at really affordable prices.

In addition, if you find an identical costume on the web Costume Discounters will MATCH THE PRICE and take an additional 20% off! SAY WHAT?! You read it correctly. Pretty fantastic, right!?

I had the pleasure of reviewing a toddler leopard costume for my daughter! Living in Seattle, I always lean towards a costume that will keep my littlest arm candies warm, but want something that is still adorable! The Pretty Leopard Costumemet all my costume requirements. It is cozy and adorable! Did I mention affordable!? The costume fit true to size and arrived on time and neatly packaged!

Pretty Little Leopard. Costume Discounters.

My daughter had a chance to try the little leopard on for size at her costume birthday party over the weekend. She managed to make it through the party in one piece and ended the party just as cute as when she started.

Here is a picture of my favorite feline and favorite canine. Who says dogs and cats can’t be friends?! Thank you Costume Discounters!

Summer is making its debut in Seattle and being the vitamin D deprived family that we are, we like to take advantage of any opportunity we can to get out and enjoy the sun. This week, our sun chasing included a fabulous picnic at the Kirkland Marina Park. Not only were we able to enjoy the perfect weather, but we were able to share the perfect snack.

I was lucky enough to be sent two of the new Cache Valley Creamy Greek Yogurt Dips to review. These fabulous little dips are packed full of goodness and are a fantastic healthy snack for the entire family. I am absolutely over the moon with these dips! We sampled the new French Onion and Spicy Garden Vegetable dips and they are both absolutely fabulous. The French Onion has an amazing creamy texture and was a favorite with the arm candies. The Spicy Garden Vegetable has a zest with a dash of spice that makes it perfect for those craving a little kick.

Here are just a handful of the reasons why every play date should include the new Cache Valley Creamy Greek Yogurt Dips:

One of the most fabulous things about having children is the impromptu costume parties. On any given day, I can have Batman running through my living room with Batgirl hot on his heels. Imaginative play is one of my favorite toddler activities. (I say “toddler” because it just isn’t as cute when you are a 32-year-old running around the house in a Wonder Woman costume, although you better believe I channel my inner Lynda Carter on a daily basis)

It will come as no surprise that when I was contacted to conduct a review for the Costume SuperCenter, I jumped at the opportunity. With Easter right around the corner, I have had my heart set on an infant bunny costume for my daughter. Although, the decision was not an easy one, the Wonder Woman costumer was calling and the Costume SuperCenter has an incredible selection. However, I ultimately selected the adorable bunny costume pictured below. I based my selection on a few reasons. First, it is adorable. Second, I love that everything is attached, so I don’t have to worry about my 16 month old losing her bunny ears while she is hopping from Easter Egg to Easter Egg. Third, it’s nice and cozy for a cool spring Seattle day.

Receiving the costume, in all it’s cuteness, absolutely validated my decision. The costume is so soft and really well made. I also love the fact that my daughter can wear regular shoes, so she can toddle along outdoors and I don’t have to worry about the feet of her costume getting wet or damaged. Not to mention, it is on sale for $22.99 AND the Costume SuperCenter offers a free exchange if the size is incorrect. Fabulous no!?!

Now, the real task is somehow convincing my husband that wearing the below costume is a right of fatherly passage:

If you are anything like me, I am in constant search of ways to simplify and organize my life. Thanks to the amazing website, AboutOne.com, I am catapulting ahead on the organizational scale. AboutOne is an online family management system, that allows you to safely store and organize your household information. Yes, I said safely. As a parent, my biggest concern is always safety. Thankfully, AboutOne boasts bank level security and follows the strictest security standards. (Click here for additional safety details)

Here are some of the fabulous features of AboutOne:

1. Printables– Newsletters, cards, hard cover picture books, college applications and the list goes on. The printables feature allows you to create whatever you need with the click of a finger.

2. Personalized AboutOne inbox– Email yourself pictures to your own AboutOne inbox and update them at a later date. No need to clutter your personal mailbox or worry about important items going to spam.

3. Personalized Family Member Pages. Pretty self-explanatory no?!

4. Relationships- AboutOne allows you to connect pages forming “relationships” making it easier to keep track of the information that really matters. (Pediatricians, teachers)

I’m extremely grateful to have an ex-future-mother-in-law that continues to look out for me and more importantly the quality of my children’s locks. (Just to clarify, I was technically never engaged to her son, but she often introduced me as her future daughter-in-law and today continues to call me her ex-future daughter-in-law) Regardless, had it not been for her, who knows how long it would have taken me to find Ore and its fantastic lines of product.

My ex-FMIL sent me an ad “ore” able wood comb and brush set by Ore for my daughter. I was pregnant at the time and had felt completely stocked up and prepared, but a comb/brush set had never crossed my mind. Who knew my baby could come out with a full head of hair?! Apparently, ex-FMIL. Needless to say, every time I brush my little Arm Candy’s locks, I think of her and what an absolutely fantastic (not plastic) gift set Ore has assembled.

I feel very fortunate to have received another fabulous product from the Sugar Booger line. Recently, the wonderful people at Ore sent me an All-in-One changing set to review. The changing set has a luxurious, yet durable linen outer lining and is padded for extra arm candy comfort. The set includes two fabulous pouches. One pouch is a nylon canvas pouch, conveniently labeled “diapers”. The second pouch is a pvc-free wipes pouch, (you guessed it) conveniently labeled “wipes”. The set also has a velcro closure, that makes opening and closing a breeze. (Especially with one hand) It is absolutely perfect for moms on the go and even a great set to stick in dad’s car or bag. Last but not least, this wonderful set comes with an affordable $25.00 price tag. You can purchase the sethere. Be sure and check out the other adorable and affordable products by Ore.

Below are four (of the many) products from the Sugar Booger line that I have my eye on.

The first time I laid eyes on the all natural, mineral sunscreen, TruKid, I was smitten. It didn’t take me long to spot the TruKid bevy of beauties from across the pool–strategically placed next to the shaved ice stand. The chemical free, all natural description drew me in immediately and the delicious smell and vibrant colors were the key to my children’s hearts.

Over the last month, my families love affair with TruKid has blossomed. Upon return from our summer vacation, where I had discovered TruKid, I contacted the founder/CEO, Jennifer Adams Bunkers to profess my love of her products. I should have known that only a mother (mother of 6 for that matter), could have created such a safe and fun product line. However, I did not expect that the founder would be a Supermom, raising six beautiful children AND saving children of the world from chemical filled products. She is pretty amazing to say the least.

Somewhere between raising a family and saving the world, Jennifer managed to send me a box of amazing product to review. After trying out a handful of TruKid products, my family and I concluded that they are all beyond fabulous. They are bright, fun and bursting with personality. The products are all extremely gentle and non-irritating, even on my youngest babies’ skin. The Friendly Face Wash happens to be one of my absolute faves. It makes washing your child’s face so easy–regardless of the time of day and is so extremely gentle.

All the products have diagrams on the labels that make it easy for kids to understand which body part that the TruKid product should be applied. The kid friendly diagram also helps to promote self-bathing. Just ask my son who now washes his face numerous times throughout the day. It is hard not to smile when looking at these products, and it is wonderful knowing that TruKid products are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. Just like our arm candy. Have I mentioned how much we love TruKid?

Our bath time favorites include: Silly Shampoo, Friendly Face Wash, Bubbly Body Wash, Cool Condition and we wrap up with the Happy Face and Body Lotion. Yes, my son’s bath time routine has turned into a five step beauty regimen filled with a rainbow of TruKid products. While it might seem like a lot of work, it is in fact the opposite. My almost three-year old is able to use the body wash and face wash on his own, while I wash and condition his hair. Each one of the products is fabulous on its’ own. However, when you put them all together, you end up with a clean, soft, chemical free, delicious smelling family.

In summary, here is a wrap up of why the TruKid products are an Arm Candy Confessions must have:

TruKid focuses on creating healthy habits and promoting positive choices for children and families.

Natural, value-priced skin care line.

TruKid’s philosophy is to create a sustainable future for our kids by teaching them to take care of themselves, each other and the environment.

TruKid provides products free of harmful chemicals.

TruKid strives to use innovative and green packaging which facilitates recycling and minimizing waste.

Biodegradable formulas have been specifically designed to protect, moisturize and nourish children’s sensitive skin.

TruKid products are BPA and Phthalate free.

TruKid provides gentle, natural and organic skin care that is safe to use on babies as well as big kids.

Kids enjoy using TruKid products. (If you need an example of this, try “accidentally” leaving out one of my son’s five step products)

Made in the USA

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has awarded the TruKid line the safest rating of all kid’s skin care lines.

The TruKid labels provide a kid friendly diagram of which part of the body the product is intended to be used.

TruKid spells out the ingredients used in all it’s products. Who does that?! Seriously.

Do you need another reason? You can check them out here and be sure and take advantage of the fabulous back to school sale.

As parents there is no question that we have little free time. Between meals, baths, school and the laundry list of daily parenting activities, there is little time to sit down and read the newspaper, let a lone a book for our personal enjoyment. However, there are some books that we have to make time to read. Growing Up Global: Rasing Children to Be At Home in the World is one of those books. I was recently sent a copy to review and cannot praise this book enough. Author, Homa Sabet Tavangar shares budget friendly activities, easy explanations and invaluable tools to help our children understand diversity and develop a global mindset.

Tavangar is married and mother to three girls. She was born in Tehran, raised in Cleveland, and currently resides in Philadelphia. She has lived in a handful of places, including a three-month stay with her children in West Africa. Many of the lessons in Growing Up Global are validated by she and her children’s experiences both home and abroad, in addition to her 20 years experience working with governments, businesses, international organizations and non-profit agencies. Tavangar recognizes many families are unable to travel abroad with the given economy and she provides example after example of budget friendly learning exercises that can be practiced at home.

Below are some of my favorite Tavangar tips for raising globally aware children:

1.Keep the world at your fingertips. Purchase an up-to-date globe and keep it handy for easy reference and/or cover a wall near the kitchen table or other central location with an oversized, laminated world map.

2. Surf the internet. A good start for global kids’ resources is National Geographic’s My Wonderful World page (wonderfulworld.org) and the American Library Association’s “Great Website for Kids” page. (ala.org/greatsites), which can serve as a portal to other safe, updated, and high-quality sites.

4. Enrich your playlists and music collection. As kids’ become accustomed to musical diversity, they adjust to the various sounds, making the genres feel less “foreign” and creating a bridge with new friends from all over the planet.

5. Get passports. Even if you have no budget for international travel, possessing your own passports will put your family in the mind-set of the possible, as a very physical reminder of your world citizenship.

6. Politics vs. People- Make a distinction. It’s hard to be a friend to the human race if we let the politics of governments or a vocal minority color our view of the people of that country or religion.7. Use the “universal language” of soccer to grow up global. Pick a few international teams to follow based on your heritage, your friend’s, your favorite type of food, the language you want to learn to speak, your favorite jersey, or hundreds of other reasons — get creative! Learn about your teams and players on the FIFA Web site, which includes an interactive world map to help you learn. Organizations like the U.S. Soccer Foundation, BallforAll, Velletri Soccer Group, Grassroot Soccer, UNICEF, in partnership with FIFA at unicef.org/football, and many more can connect your family with global soccer programs that positively impact struggling local communities.

8. Expose your child to foreign languages. Learn to greet in many foreign languages.Make an effort to learn a few words in a foreign language with your kids, even if it’s learning how to say “toilet” in five languages. This could be one of the best investments of your time; it’s a great ice-breaker and your kids will probably do a great job of it.

10. Spice-Up Thanksgiving and your take-out choices. Look to your cultural heritage (or a guest’s) or a favorite ethnic food style. Start slowly by using a new spice or herb, or add a new side dish. When deciding on take-out or choosing a restaurant for a family dinner, try cuisine from a culture that is less familiar to you.

These tips are just a small sample of the hundreds of fabulous ideas Tavangar has for raising a global citizen. Growing Up Global is a guide for all to enjoy and benefit from. While the title states “raising children to be at home in the world,” Tavangar offers tools to help people of all ages, religions and races be at home in the world. Growing up Global is truly an amazing gift to share with loved ones and an Arm Candy Confessions must read.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Growing up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in The World, click here.

Tavangar is a regular contributor to the Growing Up Global Facebook page here.

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Boo! Yep, October has snuck up on us and is flying by! If you do not have a costume for your little arm candies, don’t worry! There is still time to find the perfect costume at the perfect price! Costume Discounters has an amazing selection at really affordable prices. In addition, if you find an […]